


Transtalia Week 2020

by Aph_Oklahoma_46



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers, Statetalia, Transtalia - Fandom
Genre: And now I'm putting my stuff here, F/F, Gen, Hetalia States, I'll put any tag warnings at the beginning of each chapter, M/M, Multi, Or last week?, Other, So I participated in transtalia a week ago, Some amount of time ago, Statetalia - Freeform, aph states, transtalia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-04-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:22:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23898193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aph_Oklahoma_46/pseuds/Aph_Oklahoma_46
Summary: This is a collection of the fanfic I wrote for @the-transtalia-blog's Transtalia Week 2020. Hope you guys enjoy. Trigger Warnings will be added at the beginning of each chapter. Let me know if I miss a tag!
Relationships: Comanche/Cherokee (Hetalia), Kansas & Nebraska (Hetalia), Kansas/Oklahoma (Hetalia), Missouri/Kentucky (Hetalia), Missouri/Tennessee (Hetalia), Missouri/Tennessee/Kentucky (Hetalia), New Mexico & Arizona (Hetalia), Tennessee/Kentucky (Hetalia)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	1. Day 1: Shopping

**Author's Note:**

> Arizona/Kat/Katarina: Trans girl, she/her  
> Cherokee/Onacona: Cis man, he/him  
> Comanche/Naduah: Genderfluid person, she/her (primarily), he/him  
> Kansas/Heni/Henrietta: Genderqueer person, they/them, she/her  
> Kentucky/Henry: Cis man, he/him  
> Missouri/Miles: GNC Cis man, he/him (preferred, but not strictly used)  
> Nebraska/Isaiah/Zay: Trans boy, he/him  
> New Mexico/Esma/Esmeralda: Cis Woman, she/her  
> North Carolina/Nolan: Cis man, he/him  
> Oklahoma/Emily/Huutsuu: Cis girl, she/her  
> Spain/Antonia: Cis man, he/him  
> South Carolina/Nora: Cis woman, she/her  
> Tennessee/David/Fiona: Nonbinary person, they/them  
> Texas/Angel/Colonneh: Cis man, he/him (@texass-shenanigans on Tumblr)
> 
> I think that's everybody! If there are any other characters in one of these snippets that you aren't sure about, message me or shoot me an ask on my tumblr, aph-oklahoma-46.

“They need to match… why, exactly?” Henry stood awkwardly between two stands of underwear while David inspected some blue, lacy thing.

David didn’t look at him, but Henry could hear the unimpressed look in their voice. “Be _cause_ , Henry, it looks pretty when they match. I have a blue _binder_ and no blue _underwear_ to match, and I have red _underwear_ with no red _binder_ to match.” They put the panties back and moved to a different pair that was lighter in color.

Henry sighed and squatted to sit on the floor; if he’d learned anything after knowing David all these years, it’s that David does _not_ shop quickly. “Yeah, but nobody’s gonna see it. It’s just underwear.”

This time, David did turn, smirking, and said, “You might. Now quit complaining; you could have stayed home, instead.”

“That would be boring.”

“Well, then hush up about th- Ooh!,” David broke off mid scold when they found a set of dark blue underwear with lace around the fringes. David compared the color to that of their binder before carefully folding them and placing them into their basket, satisfied.

“Onward to boxers!”

“Boxers?” Henry sighed when David tapped his head and marched towards the men’s section.

“Yes. I’ve got the binder, and I just found panties that match, and they come with a pretty bra already, so I don’t have to find one to pair with the panties if I don’t feel like wearing the binder, and _now_ I’m going to get some boxers for when I don’t feel like wearing the panties,” they explained. “Mix and match, Henry. Believe it or not, I don’t always look this pretty; sometimes, I just wanna be comfy.”

Henry caught up to David and put an arm around their shoulders, saying, “I always think you look pretty.” He pressed a kiss to their temple.

David hummed pleasantly and stopped in front of some packages of underwear, looking for something that complemented the color of their binder.

It didn’t take as long to find some that David was happy with, and when they did, Henry immediately turned to the check out. David caught him by the elbow and halted him.

“Not so fast,” they chirped. “I haven’t tried any of this out yet. We’re going to the dressing rooms.”

“Jesus, David… ok, well where are they?”

David hooked their arm through Henry’s and guided him to the changing rooms and into one of the stalls. They set aside the selected clothing and began undressing. “Text Miles and tell him we’re about to check out.”

“Um, ok… is there a reason I need to be in here, too, though?”

“Remember that conversation about who’s gonna see these things?”

“Yeah?" Henry blinked, confused, then blushed. "Oh."

David just giggled, “You’re cute, you know that?”

Henry smiled. “I’ve been told.”


	2. Day 2: Puberty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heni and Isaiah celebrate progress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw: mention of shots related to HRT, but no medical procedure or shot actually takes place.

“Heni,” Isaiah shouted. “Henrietta, come here, quick!”

He heard steps coming rapidly from the hall before the bathroom door swung open, almost smacking him. Heni stood in the doorway looking mildly panicked and out of breath.

She panted, “What is it?” Leaning against the door frame, Heni paused to breathe, taking in the room. When she saw the tears in Isaiah’s eyes, she was by his side in a blink. “Zay, what’s wrong?”

Isaiah blinked and wiped his eyes; he hadn’t realized he’d been crying. “Nothing’s wrong, Hen. But look!” He propped his foot up on the toilet and gestured proudly to his bare leg.

His sibling looked down at his leg, look of worry shifting into confusion, and then annoyance.

“… Did you call me in here to show off your calves!?”

“What? No, asshole, look closer.”

Heni quirked a brow and leaned in, inspecting the leg. “I don’t get what y- oh. Wait a minute.” It wasn’t the leg Isaiah wanted to show off. Heni looked at the hair, before standing up straight again and smiling, wrapping her brother in a hug.

Despite almost being knocked to the floor with the change in weight and position, Isaiah hugged back.

Over the last few months, he’d been taking pictures of himself to track the changes, and Heni had warned him not to get too caught up in checking every week or two, so he had done his best to wait. She was right (for once); these changes took a few months for humans, and as personifications, that timeline was bound to be different. But he had still spent morning after morning inspecting his face, his chest, his body, without feeling much encouragement. But today, he’d been in the shower, shaving a patch on his thigh for his shot, and the thought of that first picture on his phone came to him. He hadn’t compared himself to that, yet, because Heni insisted he wait at least a couple of months…

 _Well, it’s been a couple of months_ , he thought in the steam and soap. He had finished his shower and headed to his room, immediately snatching his phone from his nightstand and running to the bathroom. Standing in front of the mirror, he pulled up his photo gallery and scrolled.

He found the picture.

And despite how minute every difference seemed, he still felt his eyes sting. He had sat down on the toilet and just… breathed for a moment, before finally shouting for Heni, leading to the present conversation.

Speaking of, Heni released her grip on Isaiah and pulled back, grinning. Then she gasped and smacked his arm.

“You bastard, you checked without me!”

Isaiah blinked, then laughed sheepishly. Right, they had both started their hormones at around the same time, and they had said (somewhat jokingly) that they would track their progress together.

“I mean, it was kind of a spur of the moment thing… well, get your phone out, and you can check now.”

Heni narrowed her eyes, side-eyeing him as she fished out her phone, but she lost all air of betrayal when she burst into giggles at the face he made back at her.

They probably spent the next hour in the bathroom chattering excitedly about the changes they both saw.


	3. Day 3: Childhood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat receives comfort from her big sister.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw: mentions of transphobia in memory, specifically deadnaming. No acts are described in real time or in depth.

Katarina. Her name is Katarina. Why can’t people get that right?

Kat kicked the stone further down the road. The teacher wouldn’t use her name, the other students wouldn’t use her name, the teacher yelled at her for using _her own name_.

“Oh, but why would you want to change your name?” the teacher had asked. “It’s such a handsome name. Besides, Katarina is a pretty name for girls, not boys.”

_Because I’m a fucking girl!_

_Dios, adults are so stupid_.

She didn’t understand why she had to go to school here, anyway. In a few months, Esmeralda would move her to a new one so that the humans here didn’t become suspicious of a child that isn’t aging properly. It would be better if she would just educate her at home.

_Esma is smart, and Angel is too…_

But Esmeralda would never let Angel tutor Kat after the last few years. He wasn’t allowed to even see her…. But still.

There was a thud when Kat kicked the rock particularly hard and it bounced off of the wood frame of the house. She trotted up the steps and dropped her pack in a chair before migrating to the kitchen area. Esmeralda was there, finishing dinner and moving the food to the table. Having found a chair, Kat climbed up and hid her face in her arms on the table.

“ _Hola Nena_ ,” Esma said, setting down the last plate. She turned to Kat, and frowned. “Oh, what’s the matter, little one?” Pulling a chair next to where Kat had taken a seat, she sat and put a gentle hand on Kat’s shoulder.

Kat sniffled. When she raised her head, her eyes burned and her throat hurt. She tried to speak, but couldn’t, and that upset her more, frustration and anger and sadness building up and making everything feel wrong.

She hadn’t meant to cry. Boys aren’t supposed to cry, and girls cry because they’re soft. Kat didn’t want to be a boy, and she didn’t want to be called a silly, weepy little girl.

Esma’s arms were around her, now, and Kat threw her own up around her sister’s neck. Esma moved her to her lap and pet her hair while Kat cried, gently patting her back and holding her. Eventually, when Kat calmed down and her sobbing subsided, Esma took her face in her hands and asked again, “What is wrong, _mi cielito_?”

Kat breathed, and told Esma about how the teacher kept using the wrong name and getting mad at her for using the right name. She recounted getting scolded for how long her hair was getting, among other things, and every now and then, Esma would nod and give her a kiss on the forehead, or she would wipe away a stray tear.

When she had finished, Esma was quiet for a moment. She seemed to be thinking, and Kat waited, having laid her head back on Esma’s shoulder while the older girl thought.

“Do you want to know a secret, Katarina?”

“Yeah?”

“Sometimes… you know, adults often act like they know everything. But, we don’t. We don’t always have the answers or understand what is happening… And sometimes, when an adult doesn’t understand something, they get angry, or confused, or they try to pretend that what they don’t understand isn’t… They pretend that it is simple, and that it is something they do understand. And that isn’t how they should behave, because they cannot learn to understand by pretending the issue is not there.”

Kat blinked and sat up straight, looking at Esma, who continued, “I think… maybe you teacher, and a lot of people, don’t understand why you want to… why you are a girl. They don’t know why you don’t act like a boy or why you changed you name. And they chose to pretend that they do understand, and that you are the confused one.

“I don’t think I really understand, Kat. But I understand that it makes you happy to be a girl, and to be called Kat. I want you to be happy, ok?”

Kat nodded. “Ok.”

“And, I’m very sorry that your teacher made that choice; that she pretends she understands and that you don’t. But I promise that no matter how many people choose that, I will try to understand. I want you to be happy, and I will do whatever it takes to learn how to help you be happy.” Esma kissed the crown of her head, then moved Kat back to her seat. “I think we should find a new way for you to learn, hm? So you don’t have to go back to that school.”

“Me too.”

A plate with food was set in front of her and Esma set another at the seat next to it, sitting down beside Kat again. “Eat dinner, and tomorrow, we’ll see about getting some books for me to teach you with.”

Kat nodded, satisfied with that suggestion.


	4. Day 4: Not Being Accepted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David comes out to Henry, and it goes well! Then they come out to their much less open-minded siblings...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw: Transphobia, including deadnaming and misgendering.  
> David, baby, I'm so sorry! You deserve better

“So… I was thinking about changing my name.”

Henry looked up from where he had been pulling up bits of grass to braid together and blinked.

“Oh? Do you not like Fiona anymore?”

“I just… It doesn’t feel right. That doesn’t feel like my name.”

“… Ok. What were you thinking of changing it to?” Henry sat the length of braided grass in his lap and leaned back against the tree, waiting for an answer. His red-haired friend had tucked her knees under her chin, hugging them. She had been watching him, seemingly gauging his reaction, but now she looked down and pressed her forehead to her knees.

“Well, I was thinking… I kind of like David.”

 _Oh? Oh…_. Nodding, Henry sat up again. That was really not what he’d expected. “Do, um… Do you want to change anything else?”

Fi- _David_ peeked up from over… his? His arms. Tears had started to gather at the edges, and Henry did not like that at _all_. He shifted away from the tree, crawling over to David to sit next to his friend. Hesitantly, he reached out a hand and rested it on David’s shoulder.

“It’s ok if you do. I like David, too. I like you… even though you definitely cheated on the race over here.”

That got a giggle out of David, and he raised his head and wiped his eyes. “Thanks, Henry. And I did not cheat, I’m just a better rider than you!” David poked Henry in the ribs with a grin. “But, um, yeah… I think there are some other things I wanna change.”

Henry nodded. “Ok. I’ll help, if you want.”

David smiled, and Henry felt warmth come with the grin. He was sincere; he and David had been the best of friends since they were children, and they had always understood that if one of them needed something, the other would do whatever was needed to help. That wasn’t going to change just because he and David might, even if David’s changes might be… bigger than expected.

David stood in the parlor and he (that really didn’t feel quite right, but neither did “she,” so…) could feel the eyes directed at him. He was so glad that his siblings weren’t visiting today, so they could have this talk with just the three of them.

Well, four, counting Henry, but he had tucked himself away in the corner as emotional support and was adamantly trying to avoid drawing too much attention to himself. David would have almost found it funny, if they weren’t so nervous; they had learned a long time ago that the Carolinas were not fond of their- his choice of friends.

 _Hmm… that wasn’t so bad. Can I call myself that, though? I’m just one per_ -

“What do you want to talk about, Fiona?”

David was shaken from their thoughts. They blinked over at Nora, who was sitting next to her brother and staring at David unblinking. Ever since they were little, David thought that look was creepy. Of course, Nora didn’t mean anything by it, she was just an intense person and when she gave her attention to something, she gave all of her attention to it.

Which was really unpleasant for David right now.

They shifted their weight to their other foot and took a deep breath, before speaking, “Well, first off, I wanna talk about changing my name. I don’t wanna be called Fiona anymore.”

Both Carolinas nodded, and Nolan commented, “Alright. It’s not uncommon for a personification to change his or her name, especially since we live so long. Times change, and things go in and out of fashion.”

“What would you like to change your name to?”

David glanced over to Henry, who was standing in the corner by the door. Henry nodded, and David grasped onto the reassurance that he offered.

“I, uh, I want to be called- I want to be called David, please.”

Both twins blinked. Neither spoke for what felt like hours, but David knew was probably seconds. Then Nolan cleared his throat and said, “David? Well, that is a very good name, but… I’m not sure it’s the best choice.”

Nora added, “Yes. We realize you must be looking for a change, Fiona, but perhaps you should consider a less… drastic change, hm? If you’re looking for a name that is less feminine, Logan is a lovely name for men and women.”

“It is. Are you trying to display your boyish tendencies? We know you were irritated with Madam Willingham for scolding you as a tomboy. She really should… Well, she should mind her own business, if you ask me, but Logan is a fine name for a lady who is not afraid of a little dirt and sweat. Or Riley.”

In spite of how they had prepared for this reaction, David felt themself ( _themselves? No, that’s not right, there’s only one of me…_ ) deflate a little. In contrast, they could sense Henry bristling behind them. Henry normally was very calm, and it really to some doing to get him riled up, but god, the twins sure were good at it.

_I should really say something before he do-_

“I really don’t think that is what _David_ meant.”

Nora and Nolan pivoted toward Henry, and David, despite the twisting in their gut, sighed at the thought of having to drag Henry out of another shouting match with their siblings.

“Really? Well, please, what do _you_ think she means?”

Henry opened his mouth for a retort, then closed it again. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before responding, “That’s not my place. They can tell you.”

David held his breath at the wording. Nora frowned and Nolan quirked a brow, but neither addressed how Henry had referred to David, so David let out their breath and decided to move on quickly. They wanted this to be over with.

“I, er, well, Henry is right,” they stumbled. “I’m not trying to let people know I’m a tomgirl, or boy or whatever. I… I’m not a tomboy or a tomgirl. I…,” David sighed, and continued, “I don’t want to be called Fiona, and I don’t want to be called a girl anymore. That’s not what I am.”

Again, there was silence, but this time, the twins were much more obviously thrown. David waited for what they would say and prepared for the worst.

“Fi… David,” Nora said. “If you do not want to… be seen as a girl anymore, or if you think you would prefer to act and dress as a man, then… well, Nolan, I think we can work with that.”

“Yes… yes, we’ll go to the tailor tomorrow and see about having some new clothes put together. Just a few outfits, in case you reconsider this, ah… decision.”

“No.” David wasn’t quite aware of speaking.

Nolan hesitated. “No?”

“No. I mean, yes, I would appreciate new clothes, but I don’t want to be seen as a man. I don’t think I am a man. I don’t feel like a man.”

Nora shared a look with her brother before fixing David with a firm look. “We’re not really sure what you mean, then, dear. Are you going to act as a man or a woman, _Tennessee_?”

A cold feeling gathered in their stomach.

David swallowed.

“Neither. Or both? I _am_ neither. But…” they trailed off at the looks they were receiving from both siblings. Nora always looked unimpressed, even when she was entertained, sometimes. She discovered early on how to garner respect among her peers as a young woman involved in the politics and finance of her state. But even Nolan, who was not particularly warm but was still less severe than his sister, was fixing David with a withering stare.

“Don’t be silly, Fiona. You are not a plant, or a chair, or a rock. You are a young lady, and if, for the moment, you fancy trying your hand at a man’s life, then feel free; we will help, within reason. But do not start running around with some fanciful ideas of… whatever it is you’re thinking.”

“Yes! Why, if-,”

“Do you want to leave, David?”

David almost jumped at the hand on their shoulder. Henry stood next to them, looking directly at them and ignoring Nora and Nolan’s spiel. David just stared at Henry for a full thirty seconds. They hadn’t realized that was an option.

Nora and Nolan were equally dumbfounded by Henry’s interruption. They stared at the pair standing by the door, somewhat shocked at being cut off and _very_ irritated at Henry’s audacity to suggest walking out in the moment.

“Excuse me, but I thi-,”

“I think that you should kiss my ass, but looks like none of us are getting what we wanted, huh? I wasn’t talking to you.” Henry turned back to David and waited for an answer.

David couldn’t walk out in the middle of this. It was rude, and the problem would still be here later. All that walking away would do was postpone the unpleasant.

But David nodded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They didn’t notice they were crying until Henry wiped their face. They were already in Tennessee and had stopped to rest and decide where they were going to go. Henry was sitting next to them by the road and put his arm around their shoulders.

“Um, I really… I’m not gonna say everything is ok, because it isn’t. That, what they said and did, that shouldn’t have happened.” He paused and rubbed his face. David had left with Henry, and before they did, the Carolinas had made it very clear that until David had made up his mind and started “thinking clearly,” neither David nor Henry was welcome in that house. They had also threatened to write to Virginia about how terrible of an influence Henry had been by encouraging their sister to run off and confuse her about her gender and such, but Henry assured David there was little to worry about on that end.

“But, y’know, everything doesn’t have to be ok. Hey, look at me, please?”

David looked up at him and placed a hand on the one Henry had yet to take from their face.

“You’re ok. Ok? And I’m ok. And we’re ok, and that’s what matters right now.”

“Wow,” David laughed, “how very humble of you to add your whole self into that.”

“Well, I mean, if you wanna trot off alone, that’s cool. I’m just stating facts, my friend; I’m doing fine, you’re doing fine, or you will be, and that’s the important part.” Henry grinned. “Besides, are you really gonna tell me I’m not fine? Because let’s face it, I’m pretty fine.”

David rolled his eyes. “I think you’ve spent too much time with Miles.”

Shrugging, Henry stood up and helped David to their feet. He thought for a moment, then suggested, “We could head to his place, speaking of. Him and his older brother will probably be much more welcoming about this than those two d- * _ahem_ * than the twins. Or we could just hang out here, or go to Kentucky, or Virginia, or… I don’t know. It’s your crisis, you choose.”

“Well,” David mused, “I’d rather avoid anywhere the twins will be willing to march into to scold me more, so Miles is probably the only option left at that point. They like him even _less_ than they like you. Speaking of, thank you for not getting into it with them. I’m glad we just left, instead.”

“Hey, if being polite to them will make you happy, then…,” Henry made a pained face and swallowed, “then I will bite my tongue and _not_ tell them where they can stick their fancy fucking teacups.”

Laughing, David shook his head. “Thank you, dear. Alright then, let’s be off.”


	5. Day 5: Fantasy AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Perhaps the beginnings of a new fantasy AU? Naduah meets a man who has less then altruistic intentions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw: Misgendering, but mostly indirectly referred to. Mentions of murder and/or attempted murder.  
> Spain is a really easy character to shit on, and people who portray him as a decent person are totally valid. I don't portray him like that, though, so here's him being a shithead.

Naduah sat straight up, one hand grasping her spear, the other resting on the arm of her throne. The door at the side of the dais opened and Onacona stepped up to his own throne beside her, raising a staff and straightening his robes.

“Cutting it a little close, Love,” Naduah quipped, grinning.

“Ah, well, Huutsuu was trying to negotiate her way out of a nap, I’m afraid.” He smiled over at her. “I think she takes after you, in that regard.”

“Hmph, I’ll have you know, I am an excellent negotiator.”

“Of course, Nadie.” Onacona leaned over to kiss her cheek.

The main doors to the throne hall opened and a page entered and bowed.

“Your majesties, Emperor Antonio of the Creboral Empire seeks an audience.”

Naduah nodded and Onacona spoke, “Bring him in.”

The page bowed again and stepped out. A few moments later, the doors opened wide, and a man and his guard strode in. The guards split off to either side of the aisle up to the throne, taking a stance next to the throne hall guards, while the man continued to march down the walkway to the thrones, head held high. When he reached the end of the carpeted path, feet away from the base of the dais, he looked up at the monarchs and spread his arms and grinned.

“ _Hola_ , my friends!” Antonio nodded to each ruler. Onacona nodded back. Naduah quirked a brow when his haze lingered longer than she liked. “I have truly looked forward to standing here today. I have come to discuss a, ah… a potential joint agreement between our nations; one that, hopefully, will be beneficial to both our interests.”

Naduah eyed the emperor as he spoke. His words were flowery and offered a prosperous agreement, but her attention was on his actions. She knew of this man and of the campaigns of his empire, and she did not trust his intentions.

Diplomacy, while important, was not her forte. It was her husband’s, which was why he was the High Diplomat of Akottusha, and not just the Chief Warrior's partner. He was a keen negotiator and had a knack for spotting the tells and nuances of a person’s body language and words, and he had repeatedly made great gains for their country. The realm of negotiation, trade, and diplomacy were absolutely his strong suit.

And the battlefield was Naduah's. She had a mind for strategy, and she had earned her throne through years of not just fighting battles, but through knowing which ones were worth waging. Her job as a leader of Akottusha was to assure the nation’s people were seen as citizens to be protected and not treated as assets to be exploited.

Part of this duty was being informed of the military movements of other nations, and Creboral had been preparing for something. It was not lost on Naduah that Antonio had saw fit to approach other nations before this and to threatened those who were not swayed by his words.

Onacona shook Naduah from her thoughts when he responded to Antonio’s offer.

“Well, while this is all very interesting, the Warrior and I should discuss this before further considerations. Thank you for your time, Emperor.”

“Of course. _Buenos_ _días_ , my king-” Antonio nodded to Onacona, “and to you, my queen.” He extended a hand to Naduah.

She looked down at it, before nodding to him and saying, “That is not necessary. And I understand this is your first foray into our politics, but if you wish to negotiate with the High Diplomat and High Warrior, we would ask that you address us properly.” She smiled, trying to look more friendly and less distrusting. “For future encounters.”

Antonio beamed, but it did not put her at ease.

“Of course. My apologies.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Naduah watched Onacona and Colonneh ride out of the gates of castle and toward a neighboring kingdom. This would not be the first diplomatic mission that his son had attended, but it would be the first Colonneh helped lead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They couldn’t even bury their bodies.

News of the attack on the envoy reached Naduah as he was getting his daughters ready for lunch. Supposedly, bandits had struck during the night and burned the campsite down in a botched attempt to distract the guards. Neither his husband nor his son were identified, but the bodies that were recovered were beyond recognition.

Antonio had brought him the news. He had claimed to be on a trip through the countryside of the kingdom that neighbored Akottusha to the northeast. His party noticed smoke in the skies and rushed to see what was happening. Unfortunately, the Emperor had said, by the time they had arrived and the blaze had been put out, the High Diplomat and the prince had been lost.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I assure you, my lady, the Creboral Empire is here to extend any aid you may need. And _I_ am also here to offer comfort, my queen, in the tragic absence of your husband.”

Naduah stiffened.

“I am _not_ a queen, Antonio, and I am not anyone’s lady. I am the Chief Warrior, and I am Onacona’s partner.” She stood and nodded to the guards, who began taking their usual stations at the entrances after the funerary ceremonies had concluded. “Thank you for your empire’s offer; my people will appreciate it. But I assure you, _I_ am not in need of your comfort. Good evening.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He was going to kill the bastard. Even if it took days, weeks, _years_ , he was going to do it.

Not more than two weeks after the disappearance (the _murder_ ) of his husband and son, and Antonio had come to restart the failing negotiations, and the bastard had the _gall_ to suggest they unite their empires through marriage. He had asked for Naduah’s hand, and still referred to him as the queen, his lady, etc.

That wasn’t why Naduah was angry.

Well, that didn’t help. No matter how many times Antonio was informed of which robes meant Naduah was masculine or feminine, he still clung to the feminine terms.

What really stirred Naduah’s distrust and dislike into hatred was Antonio’s reaction to Naduah’s refusal.

He’d threatened his daughters. He’d revealed what Naduah already suspected; the attack on Onacona and Colonneh's envoy was ordered by the emperor. And he had threatened war on his people.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Onacona had taught Naduah some things about diplomacy. Among them was the understanding that sometimes, in order to protect your people, you must take the bad deal presented, and then fight for changes later.

Naduah accepted Antonio’s hand.

She’d kill him later.

Besides, her informants had returned with good news. No need to make a day of celebration into a day of death.


	6. Day 6: Pets/Animals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David (and a little bit of Henry and Miles) interacting with their and their SOs' horses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some softer stuff to make up for making David cry. Clementine is Miles' horse, Colonel Bernie Sanders is Henry's horse (inspired by a friend on Discord), and Trixie is David's horse.

“You named her _what_?” David stared at the Appaloosa before looking to Miles and Henry.

Henry was practically beaming when he said, “Colonel Bernie Sanders! Colonel Sanders was my idea, but Miles suggested Bernie.”

Miles nodded and continued to stroke Colonel's mane.

“… I love her!” David exclaimed. They stepped around Miles and rested a hand on the mare’s shoulder. For months, Henry had been looking for a horse to keep with David’s and Miles, and when he found this one, he was ecstatic. They could understand why; the Colonel was a beautiful horse.

From his place atop the Colonel, Henry said, “We can call her CBS for short. Now, onward!” He urged CBS forward toward the entrance to the stable. He stopped her before the second stall, which had stood empty for months; Henry's previous mount, Kitty, had passed recently and Miles had cleaned the stall out for him. No matter how many pets and companions they lost over the decades, it never got easier and Henry had been more than a little upset.

Henry sighed, staring at the stall and the blank nameplate on the door. Still, when Miles and David had saddled up their own horses, he glanced over and quipped, “I think we need a bigger nameplate. Colonel Bernie Sanders is a long name.”

“You picked it,” David replied. The three left the stable and headed for the nearby trails.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

David was braiding ribbons into Trixie's mane while Miles snoozed in the chair nearby. Their partners didn’t really decorate their horses' hair often, which wasn’t surprising for Henry, but a little unexpected for Miles, considering his rather… loud tastes. However, David probably did something to Trixie's hair once a week.

They didn’t realize they were singing until Miles commented on it.

“What are you singing, _Cher_?” Miles blinked up at them.

“Hm? Oh,” David frowned. “I don’t really know. I used to hear it when I was really little, though. I think it’s an old Irish tune.”

Miles nodded. He stood and wrapped his arms around David’s waist while they continued to braid. Trixie nudged David and whinnied.

Laughing, Miles said, “I think she wants you to continue.”

David chuckled and craned their head around for a kiss. Then they went back to braiding and singing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clementine was trotting through the trail while David rode in silence. Henry and Miles weren’t with them today, and they had taken Miles' horse since Trixie was under the weather.

Normally, David wouldn’t have ridden one of their partners' horses, but they didn’t want to take Trixie out when she felt poorly and they _really_ needed to go somewhere to think. They had been with Nolan today, shopping, when they had received some less than pleased looks. David had been dressed particularly androgynous at the shop and apparently some people still thought they gave a rat’s ass about a rando’s opinion on their presentation.

To Nolan’s credit, he had been supportive and told the bastard to piss off, but it had put David in a mood nonetheless.

So, here they were, riding around and blowing off steam. Clementine snorted in response to David’s ranting, shaking his head occasionally. Eventually, David stopped at a clearing and began taking out their and Clemen's lunch.

“There you are, buddy, good boy. Thank you for listening.” They patted his neck.

Once the two had finished their meals, David hopped back into the saddle in a decidedly better mood and turned Clemen toward home.


	7. Day 7: Free Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heni and Emily chill and chat, and Naduah creates last minute confusion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heni is genderqueer and they use their pronouns interchangeably, while Naduah is genderfluid and she fluctuates mostly between masculine and feminine.

“How do you know when you feel like a girl or agender?”

Heni glanced up from the braid she was working on in Emily’s hair. Emily was sitting at the foot of the bed with a puzzle book of some kind that she had set aside when she spoke.

“Well…,” Heni started, then paused to think for a moment. “Y’know, I’m not actually sure. Usually, it’s just a feeling.” She tied off the end of the braid and scooted closer to Emily to start on the next. “But I wouldn’t say I feel like a girl; I just feel… feminine. Sometimes I feel more feminine, and sometimes I don’t. Sometimes it's just about what I want that day.”

“Oh.”

“…Why’d you ask?”

Shrugging, Emily said, “I dunno, I was just curious.” She was quiet for a moment, and then added, “I thought maybe there was like, a system? Or something. I dunno.”

That drew a snort from Heni. “Sweetie, I don’t do anything by a system. But that would be funny. I get like, an email everyday that tells me what the gender of the day is.”

“’On Wednesdays, we are girls.’”

Heni dropped the braid from laughing so hard. Emily giggled in front of her.

“It wasn’t even that funny!”

“I know, it really wasn’t. I just wasn’t ready for it.”

Emily shook her head. “You’re goofy.”

“And you’re shaking your braid out; hold still!”

Doing as told, Emily settled in again and Heni went back to braiding, finishing up the second braid and beginning to wrap them in a style she found on some social media site. Both were quiet again for a few minutes while Heni pinned up the braids around Emily’s head. After a little while, they heard footsteps come down the hall. The two looked up to see Naduah passing through, and both immediately called out as she passed in front of the doorway.

Startled, Naduah flinched back from the door before relaxing and saying, “Jesus B. Christ! What do you need?”

Emily piped up, “How do you know what your gender is?”

“… What do you mean?”

“Like, how do you figure out what gender you are, or what you feel like every day.”

“Ah; a random number generator.”

Both girls blinked back at Naduah, who stood in the doorway, straight-faced. Emily asked, “Really?”

“… Yep. Got a little note beside the bed with a list of which number means which gender. It’s a part of my morning routine; just ask your papa.” With that, Naduah continued past the door, adding a quick, “Nice job with the hair, Heni,” and leaving Emily and Heni staring after her.

After a second, Heni said, “Y’know, if it was anyone else, I’d call BS, but it really wouldn’t surprise me if that’s how your mom did that.”

“Yeah… I should ask my dad about that. Hey, maybe you can start doing that.”

“Just flip a coin every morning? Maybe,” Heni chuckled. She patted Emily’s back and added, “Alright, I’m done. Go check it out,” with a kiss to her girlfriend’s cheek.


End file.
